I have always loved Paris. I visited for the first time six years ago, and knew from the moment I stepped off the train that I was going to have a lifelong love of that city.
On this trip, Paris was the last stop on our journey. By the time we got there we had been traveling for almost three weeks straight with a toddler, and we were really exhausted. But all the same, that infectious romance of the city revived me!
Jordan, Charlotte and I spent our first afternoon exploring Notre Dame and taking a walk along the Seine. When we were about halfway home on our walk, it started to rain! That was one of the only rain storms we got the entire trip, and it was so fun! Charlotte and I stuck out tongues out to catch drops, and we ran from canopy to canopy to avoid getting completely drenched. That might have been my very favorite memory of Paris this trip haha! Charlotte and I laughing and shrieking as big drops fell on our heads, and soaking up a fun memory with my little family.
The next day we visited the Champs Elysees, popping into various stores along the walk to the Arc de Triomphe. Of course I stopped in Guerlain – if you caught my latest post on makeup, you know my obsession! Jordan and my brother-in-law then took Charlotte, and my sister and I enjoyed a really nice and leisurely lunch at Laduree sans bebe.
We ended the day strolling through the Luxembourg Gardens after watching France win yet another football match!
The next morning we set off for Versailles. I had only been to Versailles before in February, and while I knew there would be more tourists, I was still pretty shocked by the sheer volume. I really love visiting, but if you’re planning a trip I’d recommend going in the off-season. My sister and brother-in-law offered to watch Charlotte while Jordan and I explored the palace, which was amazing! Having Charlotte in that crowded space would have been pretty miserable so I really appreciated that.
My favorite part of the palace is the gardens, which weren’t nearly as packed as the palace itself. Jordan and I got a little turned around trying to find the rest of our group, because the gardens are so enormous! We were talking about how we could totally imagine these gardens being a perfect place for misbehaving nobles haha!
Our last day in Paris we made sure to visit the Eiffel Tower. My feet were killing me (we’d been walking 15-25,000 steps a day for three weeks, carrying a 25 lb toddler haha!), but I was determined to get the best view we could. Worth it!
The entire time in Paris I had been determined to stop into a cute little cafe, and on our last day the stars aligned and we made it happen! Charlotte was so interested in my cappuccino, so I shared some of the milk foam with her which she loved.
Next time, Jordan and I plan to visit France either in the fall or spring, and I can’t even wait! Until then, we’ll always have Paris.
As most of you know last month we got back from a whirlwind three weeks in Scotland and France. It was an amazing trip, but traveling can be pretty exhausting – especially with a toddler!
So that weekend I took some much needed time to myself. I’ve gotten better about prioritizing self-care in the last few months. When Charlotte was first born I had a really hard time with it, because I felt guilty asking for that time. What ended up happening is I started to feel totally burnt out without even realizing it! Now I try to get just a little bit of time to myself a week, whether it’s meeting a friend for dinner, taking a bubble bath or going grocery shopping by myself (oh, the luxury!).
I usually try to make the experience extra special somehow, even just in little ways. This time I chose to get back into my coziest pajamas (it was in the afternoon haha!), make myself a nice cup of tea, crack open my old friend Jane Austen, and enjoy some of my very favorite truffles from Fran’s Chocolates.
It’s no secret that I love chocolate (the darker the better!). We usually buy Fran’s Chocolates for special occasions like Christmas or a birthday, so unwrapping this box of truffles on an ordinary afternoon was really exciting! Of course I didn’t eat the entire box in one sitting, but being able to enjoy a few pieces all on my own was totally indulgent and exactly what I needed.
It’s really amazing how even an hour of dedicated “me time” can make the world of difference.
Thank you to Fran’s Chocolates for sponsoring this post.
What made this stop special is that they offer a tasting of sweet and savory macarons paired with their different wines. That was a really unique experience, and I learned so much about wine and food pairings!
We have a few different bottles from our trip with the dates the winemaker recommends for them to be opened written on each of them. In French, the word “souvenir” means “to remember”, and I can’t think of a better way to remember our time in Bordeaux than to share a bottle of amazing wine!
Foundation
My major pet peeve with foundation is when you can see it. Like when there’s a clear line between foundation and skin. Ew! While that has a lot to do with blending, the product itself needs to be light and creamy to get my vote. I only recently found this Too Faced foundation with a friend who’s a fellow skincare/makeup junkie, and it has been amazing! I love that it isn’t cakey at all, and looks really natural. It blends into my skin really easily too, and never feels heavy.
Mascara and concealer are my two make up essentials. If nothing else, those are the two things I have on pretty much at all times. I love this Guerlain mascara because it elongates my lashes without making them clumpy (the worst!). I also really love that I can do extra coats if I want a more dramatic look for date night (again, without clumping!). Also, it smells good! I tell this to all my friends and they look at me like I’m insane until they smell it, and then they agree! Obviously that’s not a requirement for mascara, but it’s definitely a plus! Another added bonus is that it comes of really easily when I was my face, and doesn’t even require makeup remover. That’s major points in my book.
By far one of our favorite days in Scotland was our day out on Loch Ness with Loch Ness by Jacobite cruises. They offer a ton of different cruise options, but we opted for the Rebellion because I wanted to see Urquart Castle!
